Dinosaur fossils in West Sussex
The Paleobiology Database records 46 non-avian dinosaur finds in West Sussex, from 9 genera. The oldest is Iguanodon from the Late Berriasian age, about 139.1 million years old. The youngest is Hylaeosaurus armatus from the Barremian age, as young as about 121.4 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 46finds
- 9genera
- 139.1oldest, million years ago
- 121.4youngest, million years ago
It ranks 5th of 28 UK counties on the map by number of finds, with 7% of the finds in the UK. The most recorded dinosaurs are Iguanodon (13), Hylaeosaurus (5) and Valdosaurus (4). The rock formation with the most finds is called Tunbridge Wells Sand, with 26.
Which dinosaurs were found in West Sussex?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Iguanodon | 13 |
| Hylaeosaurus | 5 |
| Valdosaurus | 4 |
| Barilium | 3 |
| Megalosaurus | 2 |
| Polacanthus | 2 |
| Cetiosaurus | 1 |
| Hypselospinus | 1 |
| Pelorosaurus | 1 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in West Sussex
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Tunbridge Wells Sand | 26 |
| Weald Clay | 10 |
| Wadhurst Clay | 3 |
| Wessex | 1 |
Other UK counties to explore
- Isle of Wight (128)
- Dorset (126)
- East Sussex (66)
- Oxfordshire (54)
- Cambridgeshire (44)
- North Yorkshire (37)
- Ross and Cromarty (36)
- Gloucestershire (29)
- Wiltshire (17)
- Kent (10)
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.